A Viking and a Gaelic Don't Make a Right
by nevynebula
Summary: Hiccup has an accident while flying and crashes along with Toothless in the woods of Dunbroch. Merida finds him and aids with his recovery, but the family turns against him upon realizing he's of viking origin, given their war history with the vikings. War looms over the two conflicting clans, and there is only one way to stop it.
1. Wounded

_Wounded_

Merida trudged through the woods, slinging her bow over her shoulder. She gave Angus some oats to munch while she hunted. She whistled a tune, smiling crookedly when a bird sung back. She imagined herself as one of them. She didn't need beautiful wings or a nice song, she just needed to fly. She needed her freedom. She pictured herself soaring above the plains, feeling the wind rustling through her feathers. She didn't know how much time she spent there staring up at the sky, absorbed in her fantasy.

The sound of twigs breaking and leaves rustling yanked her out of her reverie. She snapped to attention, drawing an arrow in one fluid motion. Her mother used to badger her about learning to dance, promising that she would be sorry if she didn't learn to be elegant. Merida would always cock her head to the side in confusion. She saw elegance in everything, from the way she drew an arrow and notched it to the way it embedded itself in its target.

Her face tightened as she heard the sound again. Aiming for where it came from, she waited, feet planted in the moss below. She became as still as a statue, only allowing short breaths so that she could hear even the faintest noise.

Merida thought she was prepared for whatever would jump out of that bush, but she couldn't be more wrong. An enormous black bear came barreling out of the bush, or at least, she thought it was a bear.

Then it unfurled its wings.

Before her, a black dragon rolled around playfully in a patch of tall grass. It was so close; she could see the dirt encrusted in its scales. Her jaw dropped and the dragon must have heard it, because it launched to its feet and peeled back its lips, exposing nothing a glistening row of white teeth. Its eyes, which were wide and curious before, were now slits of unforgiving black. It snarled at her and kicked at the ground like a bull.

Merida's arm went limp, her arrow tip dipping towards the ground. She knew she should've been scared; she should've screamed and ran like any sensible person would. Instead, she found herself aghast that such a creature was before her. Weren't dragons supposed to be extinct? Her mother told her they were, but Merida knew they left Dunbroch long before their clan settled in this land.

"You have got to be kidding me." She whispered before taking a step back.

She remembered back when she was a kid, when her mother used to tell her stories. She remembered a story about the first Wisp. It presented itself to a man, and the man wanted to capture it and sell it as a light source instead of torches. The wisp simply disappeared. Days later, the man and his family were at sea. A tempest threatened to down their tiny boat, and the man's children prayed for fate's mercy. Then, all of a sudden, the boat stopped rocking so violently. The waves stopped, light danced across the man's closed eyes. When he opened them, a wisp was there. Even though it didn't have any, the man felt like he was being watched with eyes older than any mountain or valley in the land.

When Merida's mother finished the story, she would say sternly, "Aggression should never make your first impression. Give everyone a chance; it is theirs to do what they like with it."

Merida nodded and asked her to tell another story, but she never forgot the story of the Wisp and the tempest. She vowed to make sure she never needed a wisp to clear her judgement, unlike the man in her mother's story.

The dragon shuffled back and forth, still snarling. It kept glancing behind its back, as if checking something. It didn't appear to mean any harm towards the redhead. Merida knit her brow and slowly bent down, kicking her bow off to the side and tossing her quiver full of arrows along with it. She straightened and put her level hands by her head, palms facing the dragon.

It stopped shuffling, its pupils dilating and watching her with a wary but curious gaze. It still, however, was completely tense. Merida took little steps toward it until she was about an arm's length away. It was still tense, but its eyes shone with hope, hope that this girl would pose no threat, and possible carry adventure in her wake.

Merida took a deep breath and closed her eyes, imagining all her distrust being expelled from her lungs.

After a moment she opened her eyes. She looked straight into that of the dragon, and smiled lightly. In this moment, she wished she could muster a pleasant and content look on her face like her mother always could, but she knew that her eyes portrayed desperation and the creature had acknowledged it. Never the less, she tried her best and cautiously stuck her hand out. The dragon stared at it for a moment then looked back up at her and tilted its head to the side in the way a confused dog would. She snorted inwardly and began stroking its head. The dragon was nothing but an enormous cub, curious and playful. Though he was large in size, he was gentle.

A voice groaned from behind the dragon. Probably male, but Merida couldn't see well enough. She inched past the dragon, looking at him for approval. He squinted, eyes darting from the bush to Merida. Bush, Merida, bush, Merida. He huffed shuffled a bit, which Merida took as permission to investigate.

After many a dress snagging, she got through the wall of bush to see a teenager spread-eagle on the ground, face up. His armor was smoking as she bent down to look at it. There was an insignia on the ground, but it was too charred to make out anything.

He had a spectacular mop of hair covering his face, so she couldn't make out any distinguishing features. She noticed a bit of it was braided in the back and smiled. He was skinny, scrawny even; her mother wouldn't deem him "suitor material", but the wooden leg said different. _He must've lost it in some kind of battle_, Merida thought to herself. Carefully she swept his hair out of his face, and began drinking in each of his features one by one.

He had a kind face, one that looked like it had seen many dangers and tragedies. His jaw was strong with budding stubble and his cheekbones high. His face could've been described as chiseled, sculpted even; if it weren't for his nose, which was a bit bulbous. (Though it was bulbous, Merida found it endearing.)

Then there were his eyes.

Oh, his eyes. She could stare at them for forever.

Her gaze slid up to his eyes, which she thought were closed. She jumped upon seeing that they were staring right at her, his eyebrows knit in a look of desperation. His face looked paler than when she'd looked at it before, and it was covered in a thick sheen of sweat. She had been too caught up in trying to identify him to notice it, let alone quick and shallow breathing.

He reached out and grabbed her ankle with a surprisingly strong grip. "It hurts." It sounded like it took almost all of his remaining effort to utter those two simple words. He had a strange accent; Merida would've taken note of it if she hadn't been jolted in a state of panic.

Merida's chest tightened. "What is it? What hurts?!" She demanded eyes wide. Everything suddenly became real, his injuries were no longer something that could be paid attention to later. Merida didn't understand, she didn't see any injuries when she first looked at him.

He cringed and lifted his right arm, (which she suspected was fairly burnt by the looks of the blackened leather that covered it) and unbuckled a piece of his armor that covered the left side of his torso. After doing so, he groaned, his face contorting into a mask of pain. His eyes fluttered closed.

Her heart pounding, Merida pushed back the piece of armor. There was a large bloodstain on his abdomen.

"ANGUS!" Merida screeched, fumbling to unbuckle the rest of the boy's leather breastplate as she waited for Angus to arrive.

She turned to the dragon, running her hands through her hair frantically. "Okay, um... you... stay put. There. I'll be back soon."

She could barely hear his hooves over the pounding of her heart. Half powered by actual muscle and half by adrenaline, Merida managed to heave the boy onto Angus's back. After that she sort of had to move him around to get in the saddle comfortably; his head was resting in her lap.

She didn't need to tell Angus where to go, he knew from the panicked look in her eyes that Merida needed to go to the castle as soon as he could move his hooves.

Merida looked down at the boy. This time she didn't wish she could smile like her mother, because she knew she was; the reassuring smile came easy to her, as easy as walking or talking. She brushed hair from his forehead, ignoring that it was wet with sweat. "Agh, I don't even know your name." She whispered to him, running her fingers through his hair like her mother did when she was little and there was a raging storm outside. "But I'll make sure you're safe. I promise." She said firmly.

The boy's eyes opened slowly and his lips turned up into a toothy-smile, and he managed to speak clearly this time.

"Hiccup."


	2. Healing Words

_Healing Words_

As she approached the castle, Merida jumped off of her horse and hailed the guards. Two trudged over; armor clanking and clattering with every step.

"I need help carrying him inside, he's been wounded. He needs to go to the infirmary." Merida said firmly, petting Angus's snout to calm him.

"Aye aye m'lady." The other sentry returned to his post while one of them helped Merida carry Hiccup, holding him up by his armpits. He groaned, but didn't remain conscious.

They dragged him all the way into the banquet room, where as usual her mother, father and three brothers were seated.

Her mother looked up and raised her brows. "And where have you been?" She inquired, perfectly calm and collected.

Fergus, on the other hand, took one look at Hiccup and shot to his feet. "No dating till you're twelve! Wait no, you're not twelve anymore... No dating till you're married!" He put his hands on his hips, pleased with his scolding.

Merida couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I found him in the forest, he's been hurt! We need to get him to the infirmary!" She shouted.

Her mother's face softened as she took note of Hiccup's charred armor and ghastly complexion. "Alright. Guards, relieve my daughter. Carry the boy to the infirmary." She ordered. Merida stepped back a bit once Hiccup wasn't her burden. Her mother hadn't used that voice since before the Bear Incident.

After scarfing down an apple as her dinner, Merida went to check on Hiccup. His complexion had gone to normal; his breathing was slow and symmetrical.

She sat down on a chair beside his bed, wincing as it creaked and echoed throughout the infirmary. She slapped a hand to her forehead, groaning inwardly as that echoed as well. She might as well have shaken every patient in the infirmary one by one.

Hiccup shot into a sitting position abruptly, groaning and clutching his side. "Mother of Valhalla!" He wheezed.

Merida gasped and put her hand on his shoulder reflexively. "It's alright, lie back down Hiccup." She cooed, trying out his name on her lips.

He frowned, sinking back into his pillow. "How do you know my name?" He asked incredulously, looking Merida up and down.

She quirked a brow. "You told me. While my horse was carrying you here."

He squinted at her hair. "I thought that was a dream... you looked like your hair was on fire."

She snorted, covering her nose as she did, earning a crooked smile from Hiccup. "It's not on fire, but close to."

He chuckled, red tinting his cheeks. "Er- what's yours? Your name, I mean."

Merida straightened and did a mock courtesy. "Princess Merida of the clan Dunbroch." This provoked a hearty laugh from the boy.

"So if you don't mind me asking... Where did you get a dragon?" She asked, lowering her voice so that the wounded soldiers wouldn't hear; her words were meant for Hiccup's ears alone.

Hiccup's eyes widened, he turned his full attention to Merida. "You've seen Toothless?" He blurted, propping himself up on his elbow, wincing as he did so.

Merida raised her brows. "Toothless? I don't know how good your eyesight is lad, but he most definitely had two good rows of choppers."

"But you've seen him, right? Where is he, can you take me to him? Is he hurt?" He threw off his blankets and started to sit up, but Merida clapped a hand over his knee, causing him to grimace.

"Hold your horses there lass, you didn't heal overnight. We'll get you to your dragon soon, he and I came to a sort of agreement and I'm sure he'll do fine in the woods. First of all, how are your injuries?" She asked, sitting back down.

"They're fine, now take me to Toothless." He wasn't fazed by his injuries, but that didn't mean they were healed, it simply meant he was willing to go through a lot to get to this dragon of his.

"Hiccup." Merida said firmly. She couldn't help but think she sounded like her mother. Sometimes that was a good thing, other times it just made her sound grumpy and uptight.

Hiccup let out a deep breath and folded his arms, lying back against the headboard. "Fine. The burns are just a little… you know. Burny." He pouted.

Merida chuckled. "Burny. Yes. I can help with that. Where?" She asked, a laugh still on her lips as she reached over to the bedside table for the burn salve the nurse had set there for when he woke up.

Hiccup gestured to his shoulder, fidgeting with a loose thread on the bed covers.

Merida looked down at her hands. "I'm uh. Going to need you to take your shirt off." She mumbled, blushing almost as bright as her hair.

Hiccup giggled nervously. "Yeah of course, sorry. I'm a little jumbled up here my brain isn't exactly working ri-" He drifted off upon seeing Merida's face, eyebrows raised, finger tips ready to apply the salve. "Okay then." He mumbled, slipping his shirt off over his head.

Merida inched closer and hesitantly placed her left hand on the nape of his neck. Hiccup shivered at her touch, though his skin was colder than hers.

"I know- I'm not exactly a being of sheer muscular power and brawns." He tensed and winced as Merida began applying the salve to the burn marks on his back. For his whole life he always thought he had to make excuses for his appearance, explain why he was a talking fishbone and not a hulking Viking youth.

Merida giggled. "That's okay. I've had enough of brawn and muscle for a lifetime." She said quietly. She always got quiet when she concentrated, as if she were whispering so her focus wouldn't hear.

"Oh? That sounds like it comes with a story." He tensed his freckled shoulders, bracing himself for the sting of the salve to reinforce itself.

Merida placed one hand on each of his shoulders. "Relax." She scolded, before applying the salve again, this time with a bit of numbing agent mixed in. "My mother wanted me to marry a suitor from far away clans. I didn't like any of them at all, so I tried to get a witches help, but that ended up turning my poor mum into a bear and she almost became a bear forever, so we've learned from our mistakes. We let our youth find their own love in their own time." She explained calmly. Her mind didn't seem to register that she had told a stranger that she turned her mother into a bear.

Hiccup's eyebrows shut up towards his hairline. Remarkably, he was more perplexed at the fact that Merida wasn't betrothed than the fact that she'd used sorcery to fix her family issues. She was a princess, and she was definitely of age to be handed over for gold or an alliance with another rich family. "You're not married?" He blurted.

Merida shook her head, still concentrated on what she was doing. This allowed Hiccup to get a good look at her. She was beautiful, her laugh, though a snort; was like a summer breeze. Her hair seemed to reflect her bouncy state of mind, she had the quiet strength that most oppressed women did. Most people probably would have thought she was just a helpless damsel, but Hiccup could see that she could do more than handle herself in a sticky situation.

"Oh." Hiccup said bluntly, face burning. He was glad Merida was focused on his wounds. He would rather endure the salve than let her see him blushing.

"Why are you so cold?" Merida's brow knit as she turned toward the bedside table again to grab a bandage, stealing a glance at Hiccup's profile. He jerked his head to the side, flicking hair from his face.

Hiccup chuckled and ran a hand through his hair absent mindedly. "Occupational hazard." He answered, heart panging when his mind drifted to his home. What was happening in Berke right now? Whatever, he thought, it's not like they'll worry about me, he scolded himself for thinking they might.

Merida blew some stray ringlets out of her face and began wrapping the bandage around the wounds on Hiccup's arms. "And what occupation would that be?" She quirked a brow, glancing at him quickly before returning to her task. She didn't know why she kept doing that, it seemed that she couldn't stop.

"I... Well... I train dragons." He answered bluntly. "For a long time my clan withstood brutal dragon attacks every second of the day. They took our livestock and burnt down our houses, but it was only because they needed to; to feed their... well... overlord? Anyway I was never really strong or particularly useful, and Toothless came along. I couldn't kill him... I looked at him and I just saw someone as scared and alone as I was. A hop skip and a boat ride away we killed the overlord, I lost a leg, and boom. Dragon training." He elaborated. He made it sound 1000 times less amazing than it really was.

Merida stopped mid-wrapping. "You mean there's more than one dragon where you're from?" She asked incredulously, eyes glinting in the mid-day light.

Hiccup nodded. "Barely enough to fit." He smiled crookedly as Merida secured the bandage in place.

Merida handed Hiccup his shirt and stood back, hands on her hips, admiring her work.

"So when can we find Toothless?" Hiccup swung his legs to the right so that he could stand, slipping his shirt over his head.

Merida nodded and guided him out into the dining room. Hiccup had slept long enough for the sun to begin sinking.

They trudged up the hill outside to the stables, the cold air nipping at their noses as they reached the doors. Merida flung the door open, wrinkling her nose as she suffered a whiff of what definitely was not oats. Leading Angus outside, she introduced him to their guest.

"Angus, this is Hiccup. Hiccup, Angus." She ruffled her horse's mane before heaving herself into the saddle. Hiccup stood there for a while, eyeing the saddle like he was calculating it. Merida mentally slapped herself and offered him a hand.

He shook his head and hauled himself on after some fumbling. Merida could admire that- he wanted to figure things out himself. Everywhere and everything was a learning experience, one that he valued. "You ready?" She said, picking up the reins, the leather cool against her fingers.

Hiccup chuckled. Merida could feel his breath disturbing the curls on top of her head. "Are you?" He countered.

In truth, no, she certainly wasn't. She was about to meet a dragon, officially! For real! In the flesh! She could practically feel her curls bouncing with excitement as they started on their way to the woods.


	3. Ancestral Chemistry

Angus galloped at a slow and symmetrical pace, his hooves plodding on the ground hypnotically as the wind blew quiet breezes through the trees. Merida shivered and pursed her lips.

"You cold?" Hiccup asked from behind her.

"Maybe a little." She allowed, chewing the inside of her mouth.

"Uh... Here." Hiccup said awkwardly. He wrapped his arms around her, lending her his body heat. His face grew hot, the embrace made him jittery but he tried to keep still. She was soft but firm, gentle and strong all rolled up in one person. Even after four years of development, he was still skinny and dorky.

Merida's heart fluttered, she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling like an idiot. Hiccup was warm, she could feel his heart beat racing against her back. He was at least a head taller than her. Sometimes, she thought to herself, it feels good to need someone else. She allowed herself to lean into the Viking a little, at which he responded by resting his chin on the top of her head. Merida swore Angus could feel what was happening on his back, he was more careful to take a smoother path.

Finally they reached the clearing where Toothless was the day before. Merida didn't want to dismount, and apparently neither did Hiccup, they just sat there for a few silent second, the redhead engulfed in Hiccup's warm embrace.

"We… should probably. Uh. Y'know, dragon." Hiccup mentally slapped himself. _I have slain the red death, trained numerous dragons, withstood the whole village bullying me, but Valhalla forbid I be able to speak to a girl_, he thought to himself.

"Oh!" Merida tried to act surprised. Reluctantly, she peeled herself from Hiccup and hopped onto the ground. She didn't bother offering Hiccup a hand; she knew he would refuse it. He slid off the horse easily, his prosthetic creaking as his feet hit the ground.

Suddenly, after a series of bush rustling, Toothless bounded out from one end of the clearing and tackled Hiccup, licking him like a dog would its owner. "Okay! Okay, Toothless. You win. You win, I missed you." Hiccup admitted, chuckling. He scratched a certain spot under Toothless's head and the dragon collapsed to the ground, purring loudly. _Could dragons even purr?_ Merida thought. Well, this one could. "Ohhh yeah. Now I win, huh?" Hiccup muttered, scratching Toothless's belly and neck.

Merida stood back and chuckled, watching the boy and his dragon interact with an affectionate smile on her face. It was something beautiful to see, like old friends reuniting. Though, she supposed, they were old friends; whatever species they happened to be.

Toothless stopped and rolled over, looking at Merida and baying contentedly before tackling her as well, proceeding to lick her just as he'd licked Toothless.

"Ge' off me you over grown puppy!" She giggled, laughing uncontrollably.

"Ohhh come on Toothless, seriously! Of all the things you could have done." Hiccup walked over and flicked one of the nubs on his dragon's head. Toothless then looked at Hiccup, as if offended by this remark. Hiccup laughed good heartedly, smiling that crooked smile that could melt Merida's heart in two seconds flat.

Toothless stepped around her and started sniffing some flowers on the other end of the clearing. Hiccup offered her a hand, almost doubling over in laughter. She took it and dusted herself off, grinning ear to ear. "Of all the things I expected dragons to be like... That was not one of them." She observed, glancing up at the sky.

"Do you.. wanna.. go for a spin?" Hiccup asked, raising his brows.

Merida's mouth dropped open. "You'd do that?" She asked incredulously.

Hiccup shrugged. "Of course, princess." He teased. "Toothless, can you find the saddle?" He called.

Toothless looked up curiously, a flower hanging from his left nostril. He waddled through a bit of bush and rummaged around for a bit before emerging with a saddle. He fitted it over Toothless's abdomen and buckled the straps on his underbelly, then straightened, hair sticking up over his head like a halo of static electricity. "You ready?" He asked.

Merida giggled and nodded, sitting on the saddle after Hiccup.

"You might wanna get a bit of a grip." Hiccup advised, clearing his throat. "Alright Toothless, take wing!" He announced heroically.

Toothless shot up into the air like an arrow. Merida shrieked and wrapped her arms around Hiccup, pressing her cheek into his back. Then, Toothless leveled out and flew smoothly.

She lifted her head and gazed at the scenery beneath. She had ached for this for so many years, to see the land from high above. It was just as she imagined, rolling hills and trees the size of the castle. She could even see the firefalls from up here. She clung to Hiccup, mouth hanging open in awe.

"You alright?" Hiccup asked over the wind.

Merida made a couple vowel sounds and then gave up. She literally could think of no words to express what she was feeling.

Hiccup chuckled and turned his head, glancing back at her. "I had the same reaction."

Merida took this moment as an opportunity to rest her head on his shoulder. In the back of her mind she was worrying one thousand miles per minute. Are my hands sweaty? Is my hair annoying him? Is my chin too pointy? She pushed the questions aside. "You get to see this every day." She said vaguely.

Hiccup changed Toothless's gear and they dipped slowly towards the ground, soaring barely two inches above the surface of the sea. "Yeah. I can hardly remember life before Toothless." He ran a hand over the dragon's hide. "He's my best friend." Hiccup said softly.

Merida smiled and held Hiccup a little tighter. "Do you remember anything? I mean, of how you ended up in Dunbroch?" She gnawed on her lip.

Hiccup sighed, his eyebrows drawing together. "All I remember was flying on Toothless and then fire, and boom, we were spiraling toward the ground." He said, wincing.

"Tell me about where you're from." Merida pushed her curls out of her face, watching the scenery as they soared above.

"Berk...Well.. It's hard to explain. It's just a little village, we protect each other. Really, we help our dragons and they help us. I helped make friendship out of a hundred years of hatred." He said. He changed something in the saddle, they turned and began dipping towards the ground, Merida could see the points of the castle in the distance.

"I was always just that skinny kid who didn't really mean anything to the rest of the village- the main focus of my life was to get my dad's approval. I never could. And then Toothless came. I shot him down and he landed in the forest- I found him and I was determined to kill him. He was a night fury, elusive and rare. No one had ever seen one. But in his eyes, I saw myself. He had lost a bit of his tail that made him veer to the right when he flew. He was stuck in this sort of clearing in the woods by my village, it was sort of a bowl shape, so he couldn't get out. I studied him for a while, I got up close with a fish. I sized up the problem and went back to the blacksmith's stall to make a replacement. Then I did something _really_ stupid. I secured it in place, and then we learned how to fly. After that, we became friends." Telling his story was always a hit to the stomach, he tried to soften the blow but he never really could, he hated that people looked at him differently after he'd tell it to them, they'd treat him like a kicked puppy and act as if his whole world revolved around his self-esteem.

Hiccup felt Merida nodding behind his back, wrapping her arms tighter around him as they descended through the air.

Hiccup straightened as Toothless's feet touched the ground. His temperature dropped significantly as Merida untangled herself and slid onto the dewy ground. He slid off as well, smiling brightly; senses awake.

"Hiccup- I don't know what to say. I. My god. How could you get used to that? It's- I can't- Wow." Her face was alive, shining with excitement. She remembered that look, that look he got when he realized the world was a lot bigger than he thought it was.

He shrugged, unbuckling Toothless's saddle. "Viking thing- strong and silent." He said sarcastically.

Merida froze in place, her head whipping around; curls bouncing wildly. "I'm sorry- Did you say Viking?!" She hissed.

Hiccup quirked a brow. "Yeaaaahhhhh?" He dragged the word out, looking at the princess quizzically. "Is that bad?"

"Oh, you have no idea." She straightened. They were just two teenagers, caught in a problem bigger than themselves; and it was about to get bigger.


	4. Fanning the Flame

Merida shifted her weight nervously, clenching and unclenching her fists. He was a viking, a threat to her entire family, but he had been so kind to her; surely he meant no threat. A part of her even thought he could even like her. "My dad has told me stories o' the war between vikings and Gaelics." Her voice shook as she drifted off, palms becoming clammy as she tried to channel her tangled thoughts into words.

"He told me how dearly my land has paid for your people's greed. Husbands have been torn from their wives, parents from their young." She had no idea where she was going with this statement. Her feelings were behaving exactly how she knew they shouldn't, her head was a tempest of conflict and confusion. Her head told her that this boy was an enemy of her heritage; a taint on the pure soil of her ancestors' land.

Her heart, however, told her that he carried no blackness in his heart and no violence in his mind. Still, she stood her ground and waited for the boy to respond.

Hiccup was appalled. War? He vaguely remembered his father telling him stories of the conflict between the civilizations, how they were so different from his own that any chance of alliance was out of the question; and the only remaining option was combat. "Didn't that end a long time ago? I mean, you can't seriously think I'm dangerous." He scoffed, subconsciously taking a step toward the princess. She took a step back.

Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed, his heart twisted. "I thought we were becoming friends?" His voice stumbled over the last word. Something told him that friends wasn't exactly what he was aiming for.

Merida took a deep breath. For the whole of her 16 years, she had trusted her instinct. In every problem, she followed where her heart led her. She trusted herself, and her heart was telling her that Hiccup would never hurt her. "I trust you Hiccup. You've shown me nothing but kindness, but you're still an enemy of my entire clan. I have to take you to my father, I'm sure he'll make it right, but," She straightened, clasping her hands in front of her. She had to give him a choice, she really wasn't sure how her father would react. It pained her, but it was the right thing.

She needed to let him go.

"You should go. There's a chance he'll be mad and he might even take up arms or lock you up or something- he's unpredictable." She gnawed on the inside of her cheek. "You should leave before the fire starts." She couldn't meet his eyes.

Hiccup had turned back to Toothless and was unbuckling the saddle. He scoffed at the idea, it was utterly insane. There was something drawing him to the red haired girl, everything was just a bit brighter when he was around her. He was not going to leave her now. He couldn't see her face, he thought she was just joking to lighten their situation. "Right, like I'm gonna leave after all yo-" He stopped upon seeing her grim expression.

Dropping the saddle, he took a couple steps closer to her. He dwarfed her in height, he might have been skinny but he made up for it in his height. "Merida, you can take me to your dad. I thought the war was finished, but I guess not. I'll talk to him, I'll explain. My dad's the chief, maybe he'll listen to me." He flashed a smile, he couldn't stand seeing the redhead like this, so far from her usual playful demeanor.

Merida seemed to relax, her posture was no longer tight and closed off, she pushed some curls from her face and gave Hiccup a shove. "Go on then, Mr. Dragon Trainer." She teased, picking up her bow and quiver. "Stay here Toothless, we'll be back. I promise." She gave the dragon a pat and they started on their way back to the castle.

The moon was rising by the time they got into the dining hall. Their laughter filled the room and bounced off the walls, which only made them laugh harder. Merida could barely remember what they were laughing at, all she knew was that they had started laughing and just ended up laughing at each other's laughs.

Her father and mother were the only ones still sitting at the table, Merida imagined that her three brothers were off reaking mischief somewhere in the castle, most likely on the servants. Her mother was reading letters of course, her hand was on top of Fergus's, running her thumb over it absent-mindedly.

Suddenly the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Hiccup's laughter died in his throat, which felt like it was closing. He chewed his lip and looked to the princess, who gave him a reassuring smile in return.

Fergus looked up from his food and plastered a smile on his red face. He slapped the table and erupted in laughter, causing his wine to slosh in its chalice. "Agh! I didn't see you there. How's your recovery going there, boy?" He gestured to the bandages adorning Hiccup's slight frame.  
"Uh, It's been uh going we-" He was cutoff again by the princess. "Hiccup's from Berke. He's a viking. He crash landed here on his dragon, Toothless." She announced. There was no point in trying to make it sound casual. Hiccup froze, eyes locked on Merida. She wouldn't meet his gaze, but she did rest a hand on his shoulder.

Fergus had gone completely still. Even Eleanor had looked up from her letters, quill just hovering above the surface of her paper, ink dropping off the tips. Their faces were both blank stares. The king had forgotten about his wine, this news had sobered him completely.

"Viking scum." Merida's father spat, disgust clear on his face. The queen was still frozen, as if suspended in one moment in time. "Throw him in the dungeons." The words were like acid, even Eleanor began to say something in protest. But it was too late.  
The guards posted by the door sprung into action and grabbed Hiccup by both arms, but not before the two teenagers shared a fearful glance.

"HICCUP!" Merida screamed, eyes filling with tears. She ran after the guards, vision blurry. She could not let this happen. It wasn't real. Her father would never be so cruel.

"MERIDA!" Hiccup called back, his voice hoarse. He tried to fight them, but he was weak. Without Toothless he was almost powerless.

Merida's chest was heaving. Another two guards posted by the stairwell grabbed her and kept her from following Hiccup and his captors. She fought; she twisted and wrenched her body until she felt like her arms would pop out of their sockets, and she never stopped screaming. She screamed for Hiccup until her even breathing felt like daggers in her throat.

She managed the shake the two guards off enough and sprinted over the fathers, pounding her fists on his arms, chest, anything she could reach. She called him so many names that were so foul she never thought she would speak them.

He grabbed both of her wrists. She was delirious now, she cold barely breathe in between her sobs. She thought that her father was better than this. He steadied her head in a cold and forceful grip so that she could look him in his eyes, which were cold and menacing. "That boy is an enemy. I forbid you from seeing him ever again." He growled before letting her go.

She sprinted up so many flights of stairs and rounded too many corners before she reached her room. She didn't even need to watch where she was going, she knew the castle so well, and if there were any servants they knew not to be in her way.  
She slammed the door shut and locked it, sitting with her back against it. She tugged at her hair and sobbed for as long as she remembered, her eyes stung from the continous outpour of emotions. She thought they were better, it was all her fault. She had failed to make Hiccup leave.

I failed, I will fail, and I am always failing.  
But the coolness of the stone beneath her seemed to bring her back into reality. With a great amount of effort, she tamed her raging thoughts and sorted out her priorities.

She needed to help Hiccup escape. She had no idea how far her father was willing to go, and she was no where near being docile enough to wait and find out. She had to act, and she had to act soon.

The princess snuffed out her candle and crawled into bed. By the light of the moon, She began scheming.

Hey guys! Sorry for not updating in like ever, but anyway, I just wanted to post this to redeem my sorry behind. It is unedited, I will definitely edit later but this is fresh of the printer.

-Nebby


	5. We're Going Home

The next morning, Merida did not awaken to the sun shining in from her window. This even didn't take place purely because she had not slept at all.  
Instead, she groaned and flung the covers off and shut the curtains, her blinding headache did not need help with its incessant pounding at her temples. Her joints were achy and she was afraid she would doze off at any moment, but it didn't matter. She had a plan.  
It was early, the sun was just poking its rays above the horizon, the sky filled with the usual splash of sunrise colours. First, she threw on her everyday dark blue gown with its holes around the elbows and permanent mud stains at the hem. She didn't bother combing her hair, for she knew that the last time she tried, she had to get Maudie to help her get the comb's teeth out of her wild curls.  
The princess clicked the door closed to her room and padded down the stairs, curling her toes momentarily at the bite of cold she got from the stone. She would have worn something on her feet, but she knew to pull this off, she would have to make her way throughout the castle with silence on her side.  
Arriving in the dining hall, she re-calibrated, pivoting so that she faced the hallway to the kitchen before breaking into a light sprint. Time was wasting. Once in the kitchen, she glanced briefly to both sides. To her relief, there was no one there. Not even the servants were awake. She rummaged in the cupboards for some food, salvaging only some cheese, a hunk of bread, and an old and dubious looking apple. She gathered this up in a rough burlap sack and filled a canteen with water before turning on her heel and exiting the kitchen.  
Carrying the sack in one hand, Merida trailed the other on the wall as she descended into the underground segment of the castle. She glanced out the last window before stepping on the first stair. The light was becoming brighter now, the sky was no longer glowing with pink and orange. She didn't have much time.  
She slowed her pace to let her eyes adjust to the dim light in the corridor at the bottom of the stairwell. She kept a hand on the wall to guide her down the narrow hallway before emerging into the castle's dungeons. Switching the sack of food into her left hand, the princess grabbed a torch and listened closely for movement. All she heard was snoring, which was both a hinderance and a relief. The guards were sleeping, but she would definitely lose time looking for the cell they had locked Hiccup in.  
She walked past the guards cautiously, ignoring the filthiness of her feet without a second thought. None of them awoke or even shuffled in their sleep. With a smirk, Merida started to run down the rows of cells, feet beating against the ground with a rhythm that only they knew.  
Finally, with her heart racing and lungs burning, Merida found Hiccup's cell. He was snoring quietly, muttering something about his mother every now and then. She fought the urge to chuckle.  
Clearing her throat softly, she attempted to wake him. "Hiccup." She whispered. He rolled, but didn't wake up. Merida huffed and tried again. "Hiccup!" She worriedly glanced at the guards. They were still sleeping.  
Hiccup propped himself on his elbow and rubbed his eyes. "Merida?" He muttered groggily. Not long after that he snapped to attention. "Merida!" He realized quite abruptly that she was a princess in the dungeons, and that was not something you saw every day. "What are you doing here?" He whispered harshly.  
Merida thrust her left hand through the bars, handing the sack of food to Hiccup. He peered inside and tucked into the hunk of bread. "That's all I have for you. I'm sorry, it's all I could find. Hide it under something when you're finished, or they'll know I brought it for you." She paused, leaning back to look at the guards again. Still snoring. "We're breaking out of here tonight." She said firmly.  
Hiccup leaned closer, one hand around a bar, brow furrowing. "What? That's insane, we can't just-" He said, quite loudly. Merida wasn't like she usually was, her melodic voice was now clipped and angry, she almost sounded numb.  
Merida shushed him hurriedly and kept his gaze, eyes open and attentive. "We can, and we will. I don't have much time. Be ready." She rested a cold hand on top of his for a moment, giving him a determined look before rushing back the way she came.  
She sprinted up the stairwell leading back into the dining hall, and then the one that lead to her chambers. She heard her mother yawning and bustling around her and Fergus's bedroom, the princess had only seconds before her mother came to rouse her like she did every morning. If she did not get back into bed in time, her mother would find that there was no princess to rouse, for she had gone to visit a boy in the dungeons. That was just about the last thing Merida wanted her mother to see, so she quickened her pace and dove into her bed upon reaching her room.  
She pretended to be asleep, closing her eyes tightly and forcing her breathing to sound symmetrical. There was not a minute before her mother arrived. "Good morning, Merida." She said, leaning on the door frame.  
The princess feigned a tired groan and rolled over to face her mother, covers drawn up to her neck so that the queen wouldn't notice that she wasn't in her nightclothes. "Mornin'." She muttered, blowing hair out of her face.  
"We'll have your music lesson out in the meadow today, I'll bring your violin. Don't be late." She teased. Ever since the Bear Incident, her and Merida had been closer, but that didn't mean the agonizing lessons had stopped. It simply meant that Merida had enough respect for her mother not to show up tardy.  
Her mother closed the door behind her with a smile at her daughter, that smile she only did when she thought the princess wasnt looking, the one where her eyes crinkled and she had that completely content look in her eyes. It warmed the princess heart, she was beginning to see the pride her mother had for her.  
Merida kicked the covers off again and slipped off the mucky dress, throwing it over her shoulder without a second thought. She pulled out a green one, a simple form-fitting gown with gaping sleeves and gold trim. As she tugged it on, she glanced at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still bloodshot. She truly hoped her mother would think that was from crying.  
After fastening the dress, she scurried downstairs, pausing only to grab a roll from Maudie, spinning with more poise than she thought she had. I suppose rolls bring out my inner elegance, she thought, chuckling and wiping crumbs from her chin.  
She pushed open the doors at the back of the castle, sitting down with her mother, who was singing. A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal, of course. It was their song, Eleanor used to sing it when Merida was afraid of the thunderstorm.  
Merida picked up the case at her mothers side, unbuckling its clasps to reveal her violin. It was a beautiful instrument, made with gleaming cherry wood, the bow made with the finest horse hair in the land. She began playing along with her mother, bow gliding over the strings precisely and without pause. She didn't need sheet music, she remembered the song well. She had quite the skill for the instrument, it came to her easily. Her mother and her had been through many instruments, trying to find exactly the right one for the princess. Finally, they settled on the violin. It was a new instrument, made in a far off land, but a trader had brought it and the king had stumbled upon it and decided it would be a perfect fit for his daughter.  
They were almost finished the song when Fergus came and sat on the queen's other side. Both of the women stiffened, Merida even gave him an icy glare, but the king acted like nothing had transpired that was out of the ordinary. He stared off at the wood beyond the house, heaving a sigh and humming with them in his scratchy singing voice.  
After the song's last bar, Merida rested her fiddle in her lap and preened the hairs of its bow. Her mother turned to her and rested a hand on her knee. Merida looked her mother in the eye, trying to focus on her rather than her father.  
"I want you to know, Merida, that I trust you. You are my daughter, and I love you, and I believe you'll always make the right choices." She said. Her mouth smiled, but her eyes had an urgency about them.  
Merida knit her brow a moment, frowning. What was her mother trying to tell her? Re-composing herself, she smiled, and offered a compliment back. "And you have mine." She remarked with a forced smile, eyes searching in those of her mother. Her mother was trying to tell her something.  
Then it clicked. Eleanor had faith in Merida, she knew she would make the right choice. The night before, she had almost protested against Fergus's orders, but she didn't have the courage. That's why she was asking Merida to shoulder it.  
The queen was on her side. There was nothing holding her back now.  
Merida gave a slight twitch of her head, a microscopic nod that only the queen would notice.  
She was going to break Hiccup out, and she was going to set it right. She had to.

Hey guys! Not sorry for the long chapter. I love this one, it's got that upcoming-action feeling. I hope you like it!

Next chapter: The Journey.

-Nebby


	6. Leaves in the Wind

**Leaves in the Wind**

No one spoke over dinner that night. The king stared down at his food, icy resolve on his face, though the queen and Merida were both giving him their best glares. Even the triplets made no noise; they looked at each other in confusion. They were beginning to catch what was going on.  
Merida spent the rest of the night in her bedroom, practicing her violin. She checked the window frequently, she watched the sunset fade into the gentle navy blue brought with nighttime, and then watched that deepen into a veil of black, with only the stars to shine through.  
She knew then that she was ready to go.  
Resting her violin back in its case, she left the room. Once in the foyer of the castle, she heard her father's voice and that of their advisor. She crept toward the door leading to the armory and peeked into the crack in the door.  
Her father was leaning over the tactics board, moving tiny wooden-carved ships with a fire in his eyes. The man beside him was a short and stout but strong-looking warrior, armed to the teeth even thought it was so late in the night.  
"Fergus, it's not worth it. Their land is so far away, what are the chances they'll invade?" The warrior pleaded, taking one of the carvings in his hands and running a finger over its tiny mast.  
The king shook his head and whirled around to look at the warrior. "They killed her, Brennan. My sister. Just a wisp of the girl, but Stoick the Vast didn't even think fast about skewering her with his blade." He growled, slamming a fist down on the table.  
Merida gasped. Sister? She was always told her father only had brothers, brave valiant men who fought and died in the war.  
Brennan clapped a hand on Fergus's shoulder. "Wylla is dead. Invading land for revenge will not bring her back." He said, clipping his words to emphasize them.  
Fergus shoved out of Brennan's grip and shook his head, turning back to the tactics table. "I don't care." He muttered. "I will kill him. I'll do it myself." Merida shrunk back from the door, eyebrows drawn in, mouth agape in silent terror. She never wanted to see her father like this.  
The two men turned towards the door, heavy footsteps echoing throughout the armory. Panicked, Merida flattened herself against the wall behind the door. Luckily, it wasn't the furious king who opened the door; it was Brennan. Merida would have no swollen toes or broken nose today. The pair trudged down the stairs with no notice of the princess and turned in to the parlor.  
Merida let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, hand on her heart. After shutting the door quietly, she scurried down the stairs towards the kitchens.  
She found her brothers each sitting atop the counter, sneaking pastries out of the cupboard behind Maudie's back as she worked. The princess rolled her eyes and walked over to them, giving a nonchalant smile to Maudie.  
"I need you three to cause some mischief." She tried to sound as commanding as possible, but even so, she knew that the triplets' help did not come without a price.  
Hamish popped a pastry in his mouth while the other two looked at Merida expectantly. She sighed, rolling her light blue eyes. "Just distract dad and I'll..." She paused for a moment, eyes darting around as she tried to think of a reward befitting of their task. "You can ride on a dragon if you do this for me." She offered, eyes glinting.  
At this, the triplets beamed, excitement brimming in their eyes that were so alike to hers. They nodded eagerly and hopped off the counter, giving each other determined glances Merida would bet all of her money that just by looking at each other, they could formulate a plan. They toddled off on their short legs, ready to wreak havoc on their father. They did this all the time, if the right price was paid. "Meet back here in twenty minutes!" She called after the Tornado of Troublemakers, as her mother so amorously named them.  
Step One of the plan was complete. The princess mentally crossed it out in her mind. Curls in her face and senses alive, she started down the stairwell to the dungeons, mulling over the details of her scheme as her feet pounded on the stone.  
Once at the bottom of the stairwell, she smirked, then wiped it off her face and replaced it with a frown. She twisted her face so that it displayed only fear, and rounded the corner to face the guards. "Help! Oh please help! There's a crow in my bedroom please get it out!" She feigned pettiness, putting the back of her hand to her forehead as if she were just going to faint if that imaginary bird were in her room any longer.  
The guards scrambled to get up, mumbling 'yes milady' at least a dozen times. One of them even took a last gulp of his ale before they sprinted up the stairs. The princess chuckled, not sure whether to take that event as a compliment to her acting skills or an insult to her tough reputation. Instead of pondering it any longer, she jogged over to Hiccup's cell, keys in hand. The guards were in such a hurry that they had completely forgotten about them, and what danger was presented if they had.  
Merida got up close to the bars, hands clasped around them. "Hiccup!" She called, bouncing on her heels.  
Hiccup clambered to his feet. "Merida, that was brilliant, but we can't get out. The guards will notice." He insisted, mussing his hair up in the back nervously.  
He was too late; Merida had already unlocked the cell. She swung the door open. "I don't care. We can try. I've worked it all out; I have my brothers working on it, and my mum too. She believes in me." She reassured, him and they began to run towards the stairwell.  
Before long, Merida could definitely tell the difference between her footsteps and that of the Viking. His prosthetic creaked as he ran and the metal clapped against the stone. She stopped running, barely needing to catch her breath. "Hiccup, I need you to take it off." She didn't need to tell him what she meant.  
The Viking looked down at his leg, confusion written all over his face. "What? I need it to walk, Merida!" He hissed.  
The princess groaned. "Just do it! I'll prop you by your armpits or something!" Hiccup obeyed, unbuckling a series of clasps before slipping it out of his pant leg, leaning on the wall for support.  
Merida beckoned him over; she could hear disgruntled guards above. He hobbled over and slung an arm over her shoulders, carrying his prosthetic in his right hand. They managed to shamble up the stairs like that, making their way slowly and quietly. They lost time, but no suspicion arose.  
Until they were upstairs.  
When they emerged from the stairwell, the triplets were standing diligently at the top, waiting for Merida's signal. She smiled at them, but was not ready to launch the operation just yet. She heard her mother, Brennan, and her father in the next room laughing away, chairs creaking as they tipped their heads back and their merriment echoed throughout the castle.  
Suddenly, the chairs stopped creaking, someone had stiffened and the others followed the example. "Wait. What's that noise?" It was the king speaking.  
Merida's heart pounded. Frantically, she nodded at the triplets and tossed Hiccup his prosthetic, which he caught swiftly and buckled it in place. Merida's brothers then each grabbed a torch from the wall and sprinted in to the parlor where the three adults were sitting, wailing like sirens in the night.  
Merida and Hiccup broke into a jog across the foyer to the giant castle doors, but that was when the plan broke into a million pieces.  
The triplets had run too fast. The distraction was over, and Fergus didn't think it worthy to chase the boys. He turned back to the door, and gasped as he saw the teenagers.  
Merida had just enough to time to share a look with her mother. The queen knew what was happening. Her face hardened into resolve and she gave her daughter a tiny nod that only she would notice. The princess shoved Hiccup out of the doors just as Elinor tackled Fergus, screaming like she was going to war.  
"GET THEM!" Fergus roared, shoving the queen off of him. She had once been a feral beast, but even as a bear; she was not as bloodthirsty and determined as the king was.  
Merida and Hiccup had sprinted past the two guards posted at the entrance of the castle, who were now hot on the pursuit of their hides.  
Just then, Toothless soared into view, as if he had just peeled himself from the black of the night sky. Hiccup cried out the dragon's name in relief, but never stopped running.  
The dragon shot a white burning spear of unholy fire, screeching and roaring against the arrows that failed to pierce his thick scales. He swooped down towards to ground, landing only for a moment, in which Hiccup hopped on to the saddle.  
Merida tried, but she couldn't reach. She wasn't tall enough, her footing was shoddy. She was not on the back of that dragon.  
But Hiccup waited for her. "Merida!" He screamed over the yells of the king's men. He reached out a hand to her. "Jump!"  
It was in that exact moment that the princess was presented with a choice: her home, her family, her land, or this boy who she had only known for a short while? She chose neither.

She chose peace, and she chose to follow it wherever it led her. In that moment she vowed that she would always find it, like an arrow that had missed its target and gotten lost on the way. Her father had not chosen the same. He had chosen revenge, and it would only put him in danger.  
Merida launched herself into the air and clasped Hiccup's wrist. He pulled her up on to Toothless's back as the dragon turned around and flew away from her home.  
The Viking boy pulled her into his arms, holding her to his chest so that she could sob all she wanted. He held her tightly and did not let go, wiping tears from her cheeks. Inside, his heart swelled. He tilted his head down and nuzzled her forehead with his, shielding her from the wind with what little body he had. They were both still shaking violently, but Hiccup's eyes were alight with pride and resolution.

She had chosen him.

Bam diggity damn guys! Sorry I didn't update, I was really kind of feeling just Game of Thrones-y, you know? Anyway, I hope you love this chapter and sorry for the wait. Remember to favourite and review! 3  
-Nebby


	7. Sturdy Roots

Merida didn't know how long she was in Hiccup's arms. All she knew was that the cold was nipping at her back, seeping through the tears in her dress and right to her bones. In that moment, her and Hiccup were a fixed point, and the world instead revolved around them. He kept her warm, in an attempt to be calm she matched her breathing to his. The rain fell around them at a fast but almost silent pace, and Hiccup kept looking onward, like a sentinel against the wind. His eyebrows were drawn in, eyes fixed on a point on the horizon that only he could see.  
At some point, he leaned back to looked at Merida. He pushed a mass of damp ringlets from her face. "You need to sleep. It's almost morning, we need to take a break soon." He said dully. It was not a request.  
The princess took a deep breath. "Where are we going?" She requested, doe eyed. Hiccup shook his head and answered simply that she would understand later. Merida glanced worriedly to the ground, hugging herself and gnawing on her bottom lip.  
"I won't let go." Hiccup promised without looking at her. With that, the redhead rearranged herself so that her legs hung off of Toothless's left side and leaned against Hiccup, who reached an arm around her. He was wearing only a thin tunic, and he was shivering in the rain, but Merida knew she wasn't taking anything from him. They were both lending each other their warmth without question, whether it be for frozen hearts or frozen bodies.  
When Merida awoke, the sun was high in the sky, she guessed they had at the most four hours of sunlight left. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" She demanded, whirling around to Hiccup. He didn't respond, he only shook his head. His eyes were tired and swollen, he widened them every now and then as if it could help him stay awake. "Take us down, Hiccup, you need to sleep." She pleaded.  
Toothless bayed, as if he very much liked the idea. Hearing his best friend seemed to bring the Viking into reality. He scanned the ground beneath for a good resting spot. "Toothless, land us by that river." He requested sleepily, changing Toothless's tail position.  
Upon landing, Hiccup steeled himself into the waking world and unbuckled Toothless's saddle, joints groaning from their sudden unstiffening. His stomach growled abruptly, interrupting the quiet of the clearing.  
"Get some sleep, I'll find us food." She commanded in her most royal-sounding tone.  
Apparently her tone didn't affect him. "No, you could get hurt while I'm-" He began, eyes dubious.  
Merida huffed and held up her bow. This shut the Viking up. "As if I need protection." She grumbled under her breath and turned to the riverbank. Around them was a dense cloak of foliage, lush green grass carpeting the ground beneath. Fish swam around haphazardly in the river, effortlessly fighting the current. Merida wished she could do the same.  
With a sigh, she notched an arrow and drew back tightly, aiming at a particularly big fish in the water. Her arrow speared it easily, she stepped into the freezing water only for a second to grab it, the fish still flopping around on it. . She watched the life drain out of it numbly and stood the arrow against a boulder, pulling up her sleeves. Most of the wood was damp, the moistness of freshly fallen rain still clung to the air. But, after hopping over patches of ivy and prickly branches, Merida was able to find a tree with leaves so dense that it shielded the twigs littering its trunk from the rain.  
She gathered them up in her arms and dumped them on the ground near Hiccup, who was already snoring quietly. Toothless waddled over on two legs (it still bewildered Merida why he bothered, usually anything on two legs wasn't any fun.) and spread his wings, creating a canopy over both the wood and Viking. He looked at Merida expectedly, and then back to Hiccup and the wood.  
The princess hiked up her skirt and joined the nightfury, smiling sadly as he nuzzled her head with his own. He lit the wood with a burst of blue-red fire, after which Merida grabbed her skewered fish and began roasting it over the fire.  
When Hiccup awoke, Merida tore off a chunk of fish and handed it to him, smiling as bright as she could.  
The viking mussed up his hair in an attempt to tidy it and scooched closer to the fire. The sun was sinking now, the rain had stopped and it was now Toothless's turn to sleep.  
Merida swallowed her fish and turned to Hiccup, who was still half asleep. "My dad's planning an attack." She blurted, letting the words tumble out of her mouth before her courage faltered.  
Hiccup nearly choked. "What?" He coughed. "He can't be, he wouldn't send an army all the way to Berk just because I turned up and happened to be a viking." He noted sarcastically, but his eyes were somewhere else, they darted uncertainly over Merida's face, his eyes silently pleading that it wasn't true.  
Merida tore off another bite, not bothering to swallow before speaking. "I heard him and one of our warriors. He's.." She paused, a lump forming in her throat. "He's gone mad. He was raving on about a girl named Wylla, who's apparently his sister that I never knew about." She snarled, anger not directed at anyone in particular.  
Hiccup nodded, gaze on the fire. "Wylla was real, she was his younger sister. My dad has a book of your clan's ancestry, I read it when I was a kid."  
Merida brought her knees to her chest and looked up, tears threatening to spill on to her pale cheeks. The fire lit Hiccup's face eerily, light catching on his cheekbones and dancing in his eyes. In him she saw loss and hurt, but there was so much pride. There was compassion, there was triumph, and there was strength. She was afraid of war, and she was afraid of her father, but Hiccup would be her bravery.  
The sky was cloudless, the moon shone brightly in the sky, hanging over them as if it were keeping watch on its children. Her father used to tell her about the moon and the sun, he'd tell her that they loved each other, but always had to be apart. He would chuckle and say that when they were together in the sky, there was not a man or woman who would be without love, for on that day it was the strongest. Then he would take her mothers hand and his own calloused one. Now, Merida wondered if the lengths he would go to to protect them were a bad or good thing.  
"Hey." Hiccup said softly, green eyes on the princess. "You alright?"  
Merida nodded, but her bottom lip quivered, shoulders just barely keeping from shaking. She knew it was a lie, and so did Hiccup. She was most certainly not okay.  
The viking beckoned her over. Gratefully, she walked over and plopped down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him, as if his embrace could shield her from anything. "We'll fix it. I promise." He reassured quietly.  
Merida looked up at him. "What if we don't? What if my dad won't listen? What if-"  
Hiccup had a different idea. He cupped her face, brought her closer, and fit his mouth to hers. Completely stunned, Merida relaxed and snaked her arms around his neck. He pulled back after a moment and looked at her plainly.  
"I promise."

Ah! Hey guys, sorry for not updating :/ I've been insanely busy getting my crap together for Canterbury and writing my own stuff that I haven't even bothered, there's only so much a 13 year old can do. But, here it is! Chapter 7! Favourite and comment and blah blah blah 3


	8. We've Arrived

So this was Berke.

It was nothing like Merida's home. There were no rolling hills and no lush forests, but it was beautiful just the same. The jagged rocky shores brought a smile to Hiccup's face, so they brought a smile to hers. There were islands surrounding the small village; like a crown on the blackness of the sea.

Not to mention, there were dragons everywhere.

When they were far away, Merida simply thought it was wind moving the trees on the island. But then they got closer, and she saw them. Dragons, everywhere! Dragons of every kind, there were many with two heads, ones that looked like rocks, and ones that could shoot spikes! "Hiccup! You never told me your whole village kept them as pets!" The princess exclaimed over Toothless's powerful wing beats.

Hiccup laughed into the wind. "We don't, we keep them as friends." He countered, changing the night fury's tail position.

As they got closer, people began to notice the black speck in the sky that happened to be Toothless. Hiccup took them below the clouds and closer to Berke. Suddenly, a cry erupted from someone below. They were screaming his name! One man jostled another and it was a chain reaction of realizing and delighting in one thing: Hiccup was home. They began to chant his name and Toothless's triumphantly, pumping their fists in the air. Hiccup was in awe, he grinned ear to ear. "They missed me." He breathed.

Merida snorted. "Of course they missed you! Why wouldn't they?" She yelled as Toothless dove for the ground, slicing through the wind like a knife.

As they hit ground, a stampede of Vikings came to welcome their son back home. These people loved Hiccup; even the dragons of the village came and nuzzled him lovingly. Compared to his village, he was tiny, but they embraced him as if he were made of steel. Merida simply sat back and watched, arms folded and an easy smile on her face. Hiccup deserved this more than he would ever understand.

The crowd went silent abruptly. An ox of a man waded through, a grim expression on his face. But, when he saw Hiccup, he seemed to light up. He engulfed the boy in his arms for a moment before pulling back. "Hiccup, my boy, where have you been? You and that nightfury of yours could have been killed!" He scolded angrily, keeping his frustrated expression for only a moment; then he broke into a laugh.

The man looked nothing like his son. While Hiccup was lanky and agile, his father was a human shield. Finally, the chief noticed Merida standing by Toothless. "Who's this?" He gestured to the princess. A murmur spread through the vikings. 'Is that a girl? How did Hiccup manage to get her here?' They all asked as if it were magic.

Hiccup stumbled backwards a bit, then rested a hand on Merida's shoulder. "This, dad, is Merida." He grinned proudly. "I'll explain later." He added as an afterthought.

The chief held out his hand. "Stoick the Vast." Merida was about to shake it, but he instead grasped her forearm. A powerful gesture, her father told her only men did it. Merida cracked a smile and laugh; she had decided she liked Stoick. He saw her for what she was: a force to be reckoned with.

Stoick clapped his son on the shoulder. "Now, go to the Academy. Your friends are already there waiting for you. We'll catch up later; you better explain how you managed to get a girl here on the back of that reptile, and a pretty one at that!" This earned a loud chortle from the village.

"The dragon usually works for that." Hiccup countered as he turned on his heel and mounted Toothless. At this the village laughed good-heartedly, while Stoick gave his son a shooing gesture, eyes shining with pride.

Merida shuffled awkwardly. "Um- should I stay here and wait?" She clasped her hands in front of her. What if Hiccup's friends didn't like her?

Hiccup held out a hand. 'Of course not, I want you to meet everyone!" Merida gladly took it and hopped on Toothless's back as well. The nightfury shot into the air, flying faster than normal, as if being home again restored his energy. He knew this place well; he darted in through narrow gaps in between rocks and skimmed along the waves like he had done it a thousand times.

As they flew, Hiccup could barely contain himself. He told Merida all about his friends in a blur of excitement and fumbling over his words, he seemed to have an itch to reunite with them that was so strong his words were barely decodable. But, Merida did remember some of what tumbled out of his mouth.

There were the twins, Ruffscruff and Tuffrunch, (or at least that's what she thought he said.) who lived for mischief and weren't the sharpest axes in the armory.

Then there was Snotlout, who seemed to think he could make a girl faint just by flexing his muscles. He, apparently, was a little bit smarter than the twins, but not by much.

After he grumbled on about Snotlout for a couple minutes, Hiccup went on to the second last viking he would describe, but Merida would be damned if she could remember his name. What was it- Fishlegs? Yes, that was it. But… wait what? Why did they call him Fishlegs?

"Fish don't have legs." Merida had interupted. Hiccup had waved her away and continued to explain. He told her that Fishlegs was the brains of the group. While Hiccup was all about the dragons, Fishlegs knew anything and everything _about_ anything and everything.

He was about to explain about the last of his viking friends but it was too late! It was time to meet them. Merida was nearly bubbling over with excitement, but Hiccups demeanor had changed. His face was grim and stony, green eyes unwilling to meet her blue ones. Was it something she said? No, it couldn't have been. The last thing she said was that fish didn't have legs. No, it was not something she said, but rather something he _didn't_ say. Something about that last viking that he didn't explain. She thought he looked relieved because his friends were in view, but perhaps it was because he didn't have to tell her the viking's name.

Touching the ground, Hiccup's earlier bereft-looking expression now became a smile. His friends hadn't noticed him yet. They stood just outside a dome of stone and chain at the top, with enormous wooden doors carved with dragons to mark it as the "School of Dragons." Inside there could be heard metal clanging against metal, grunts of exertion, and the distinct thud of bone on hard ground.

Merida winced and ran a hand along the carving, smiling and looking back at Hiccup, who was fidgeting eagerly with Toothless's saddle straps. He gave a sharp nod, understanding the silent question in her eyes. '_Are you ready?'_ He then strode proudly to Merida's side, and, taking a deep breath, he opened the gigantic doors as wide as they could go.

Trailing behind the viking, Merida tried to stay out of sight, but also to put names to their faces. They dropped their axes and swords and looked blankly at Hiccup for a moment before they seemed to process that it was really him.

"It's about time. I didn't think I could handle the twins any longer." One of them remarked, popping a hand on his hip. He was shorter than Hiccup but had broad shoulders and dark hair that stuck out from under his helmet. He clomped over to Hiccup and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Wuhuhoaaaahhh who is _this? _Looks like some kinda princess, but we don't have those here. That's alright, I'm cool with exotic women." He drawled, eyes shifting to Merida and giving her a once over as if she were a piece of meat and he was a hungry lion. He slipped past Hiccup and grabbed her hand, bending down politely to give it a wet and rather uncomfortable kiss.

"Uhhh... You must be Snotlout. I'm Merida." She tried to manage a smile, discreetly wiping her hand on her dress and looking venomously at Hiccup, who was barely containing laughter.

The flirtatious idiot was about to attempt to continue their conversation when Hiccup finally came to the princess's rescue. "Oh, so you've heard of m-" He began, but Hiccup then slung an arm around Merida's shoulder and led her farther into the building. Merida thought she had never been more relieved, but then of course she remembered that her mother had once just narrowly escaped being a bear for eternity.

The two twins then stepped forward, but not in the most ordinary way. They were locked together by the horns of their helmets, which were tangled. But they seemed to be enjoying it; though they were bickering violently they grinned like it was the most fun they'd had in years. "Shut up, Dingus, it's not like you can fly as fast as I can!" The girl spat.

Her brother babbled for a moment, trying to think of a good retort, but she was not going to hear it. Instead, she shuffled her feet and managed to turn her and her twin towards Merida. "Hey, you're Merida I guess. I'm Ruffnut. And this is Dingus. I mean Tuffnut." She seemed to think this very funny; she erupted in imp-like laughter, doubling over and pulling her brother with her.

Finally, the last of the bunch came forward. Fishlegs; Merida knew, because he was the only one left that she hadn't been introduced to. "Did you find her?" He asked; voice husky and raw. His eyes were swollen, hands shaking as if he hadn't slept in some time.

Hiccup tensed, the flame in his green eyes seemed to die just then. A hush went over the lot of them. Ruffnut stopped cackling, Tuffnut stopped yelling rude comments, and Snotlout stopped trying to flirt with Merida. "No. I didn't." Hiccup answered flatly.

Fishlegs seemed to deflate. He knit his brow and sniffed, nodding to the ground and turning away. The twins behind him sighed in unison. They had managed to untangle themselves; their bickering was no longer light hearted and there was no laughter in the air. They shared a pained glance, then leaned on each other for support. _It must be serious, _Merida thought; _they don't look like the type to cuddle._ "Astrid." Ruffnut murmered. _Is that her name? _Merida wondered.

The princess wanted to ask what the problem was, but she knew she would be overstepping a boundary. These people barely knew her name, and their first impression of her would be the time Hiccup came home without this Astrid they were searching for.

Hiccup cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck, training his eyes on the ground to avoid everyone's disappointed gaze. After a moment of dignified silence, he looked up at the moon as if that was where he would find his missing friend. "It's getting late. You guys should turn in, we'll train tomorrow." With this he grabbed Merida's hand, laced their fingers together, and exited the arena. Merida kept her silence on the flight back to Berke, but she would not keep it for long. Apparently even Toothless knew, for he as well uttered no sound.

"You can sleep in my room, I'll sleep in the workshop." He deadpanned. Merida was about to kindly refuse, but Hiccup cut her off. "It's fine. I'll see you in the morning." He breathed, directing her up to his room before slinking away like a ghost.

That night, the princess was awoken by a sharp rapping at her door. Snorting rather unattractively into consciousness, she pulled some hair from her mouth and lit a candle by her bedside table. "Come in." She croaked, massaging her throat. She shivered a little bit and squirmed into the bedding; she didn't understand how these people could _sleep_ in this climate. But, the smell of the pillow was a bit of a plus. It smelled like Hiccup, and these past couple days, the only thing Merida could associate safety with was that scent.

The door creaked open to reveal Hiccup. "Hey. Sorry; I couldn't sleep... Do you uh- Can I-" He gestured to the bed, wincing at his own awkwardness.

Merida made a couple vowel sounds then gave up on speech entirely, giving Hiccup a curt nod.

He crossed the room and sat on the bed beside the princess, chuckling quietly. "Here I am, Hiccup the Twig climbing into a girl's bed. Take that, Snotlout." He said under his breath, flicking his hair out of his face as he plopped down on the mattress.

Merida raised her brows, offering a lopsided grin. "People actually called you that? I mean, it's kind of true but at least I wouldn't _say_ it." She giggled.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "You just did." He remarked sarcastically, frowning only for a moment before rolling over to face the princess. "I'm sorry about earlier tonight. Snapping at you, I mean. I didn't want your first day here to be like that." He sighed, lip curling.

The redhead scooted closer to him and laid her head on his chest, grateful her mother couldn't see her now. Thank the hills she had decided to sleep in her dress. "It's alright; you Vikings aren't exactly the merriest of folk."

Hiccup laughed, Merida could sense it deep within his chest, a deep throaty sound that she could feel and hear. "You haven't seen us drunk." He countered, putting an arm around the princess and playing with her hair absent-mindedly.

Merida gnawed on her lip for a moment before looking up into his big green eyes. They took her breath away, they were curious and harshly intelligent but at the same time passionate and deep like an ocean. "Hiccup- Who is Astrid?" She asked gingerly.

Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed, he felt as if his chest were going to tighten so much it would explode. His eyes stung, but he forced the tears down. He would not cry in front of Merida. "She… She was my best friend. When I first became friends with Toothless, she was the one who helped me prove that dragons could be our friends. It started last year when her dad re-married. She started getting… Well… antsy. She was worried all the time, worried or cranky and just generally mad at everything. Even me. She wouldn't tell me what was going on. One night she just... she'd had enough. I saw her slink out of her house and down to the docks with her Nadder. I tried to convince her not to leave; I told her I needed her, to keep the twins in line and to keep Snotlout from further progressing in his idiot ways. She laughed, but there were tears in her eyes, she wouldn't even let me touch her. And then she was gone." He clenched his teeth, fixing his gaze on the wall beyond the bed.

"That' why you were flying near my land." Merida observed, taking a jagged breath. "How long?" She whispered tentatively, voice thick with emotion.

"Six months." He choked. His best friend had been missing for six months, and he didn't even have a clue where she was.

"Hey," The princess began, pausing to snuff out the candle on Hiccup's bedside table. "We'll find her." She whispered into the dark, planting a kiss on Hiccup's jaw before nestling back into his chest. His heart beat was steady; a calming rhythm that Merida matched her breathing to, syncing her rises and falls with his.

Whew! That took a long time. Sorry guys, I had a serious block and I've been struggling a lot with sleep issues. This chapter is longer than normal, but it's kind of exciting I guess? I'm gonna get really busy with school, so it might be harder to update, but I'll try harder this time. UwU

-Nebby


	9. Unexpected Assistance

The sun peeked through Hiccup's little window and danced over Merida's eyelids. It was a soft light; soft enough that she was in no hurry to open her eyes. Her lips curled into a smile and she stretched her legs, heaving a contented sigh before finally taking a look at the new day.  
It was barely dawn; the sky was just blotches of pink and orange, bits of blue just peeping through the veil of clouds. Hiccup slept soundly beside her, his head buried in her curls, one hand draped over her middle possessively. Bringing a hand to her mouth, Merida fought the urge to chuckle. She pushed some hair out of his face and ran a thumb over his cheek. He twitched and smiled at her touch.  
Carefully disentangling herself from the sleeping Viking, Merida grabbed her bow from the wardrobe and tip-toed out of the room. Sweeping her curls out of her eyes, she bounded down the stairs, stopping at the landing when she heard a firm voice that she was only somewhat familiar with.  
"Gobber, be sensible for just a minute here, put that damn mug down and listen to me. We have no idea where she came from, and we have no idea why she's here. She could have been sent by… by them, Valhalla forbid. We both know that Hiccup tends to trust people too quickly. That thick headed king still thinks I killed his sister, and it's just a matter of time before he does something about it." The voice belonged to Stoick, Merida could hear his thunderous footsteps pacing forward and backward, with each step the wood in the fire shifted.  
This 'Gobber' was about to reply, but Merida would hear no more of it. Instead, she stormed out of Chisholm. Only the shepherds were out this early, they gave her odd looks as they fed their sheep. "That one's got dragon fire inside her. You can see it in that wild head of hair." One of them whispered to his wife, just loud enough for the passing princess to hear.  
She didn't know why or how, but she ended up in the woods. She was surrounded by pine trees; with every step her foot crunched on a new leaf or a pinecone. These woods were foreign to her; they had a raw feel to them that was nothing like the lush forests back home. Nevertheless, she continued on. She had the opportunity to explore Berke, and she was going to do it whether she was comfortable or not.  
A twig snapped behind her, leaves rustled as the wind hissed through them. Merida whipped around, an arrow at the ready. There was nothing behind her. The sound had just been her imagination.  
Then she heard it again, this time to her right. It was difficult to make out the footsteps among the other sounds of the forest, but even while the birds pecked at bark and squirrels skittered along their branches, Merida could hear it. They didn't scuff or squeak like shoes did. It was definitely an animal. Exhaling through her teeth, the princess took a couple steps backward.  
In a flurry of fur and paws, a grizzly hurled itself out of the foliage, snarling and clawing at Merida with a ferocity that reminded her of only one thing.  
Mor'du.  
Memories swirled around in her head as the bear clawed at the dirt, slinking toward her as if it were getting ready to pounce again.  
One arrow could not take it down. As if in a trance, the only command Merida's body responded to was to walk. Backwards, she stepped slowly, barely avoiding fallen branches and bushes that happened to be in her path. The bear growled, baring its yellowed and cracked teeth. The princess's eyes were wide in terror; what she saw in front of her was not a grizzly bear. What she saw was Mor'du; what she saw was one of the only things she was afraid of.  
The bear did not give up. It kept following her, and Merida did nothing to stop it. She knew that shooting it would only hinder it and make it even angrier, and then she would be in more immediate danger. She just kept walking backwards, bow limp at her side.  
Then, as if she had walked off of the edge of the earth, the trees stopped. She was no longer walking on moist forest soil; she had emerged past the treeline and was instead walking instead on the tiny pebbles of a rough beach. She was so close to the coast that the water reached for her ankles and then pulled back into the sea, waves churning softly in the moist dawn.

She was at a dead end.

Whimpering, the princess realized she had nowhere else to go. She tripped over a rock in the sand and went tumbling into the water, the waves overtaking her fiercely and so quickly that she could no longer see the bear. Then something strange happened.  
Water shot from behind Merida at the bear as if someone had squirted it from a canteen; it hit the beast's hide and steamed as if it were scalding. The bear yowled angrily and prepared a moment to attack, but instead loped back in the direction the came from.  
Slowly, Merida craned her neck back to see what had shot the water. It was not what she expected

Behind her was a monster of a dragon.

Its green scales shone in the pale morning light. It had a sagging throat like a pouch and a thin head with one single horn on the top curling backwards toward its neck, which was long and connected to a belly the size of the bear that had been chasing her. It had tiny little forelegs with three claws like a sloth, but the princess knew they were useless compared to its wingspan. It had a tail like a fin that was so big, Merida figured it could probably overtake four metres in one beat.  
It narrowed its eyes and growled from deep in its throat. She could see the pouch of its throat heating up; it changed from green to purple to hot orange. It swished its head and eyed her warily, baying as if it were warning her of itself. She remembered how she had treated Toothless and gulped. That sort of behavior would do nothing for this dragon. It meant only to get away, it had no intention of being friends.  
Instead of staying any longer, Merida bolted off of the beach. She slowly paced back a couple steps out of the water, then wheeled around and made a break for it. She dashed through the woods, moving branches and bushes out of her way until she thought she was far enough away.  
The sun was rising higher in the sky now, the princess knew she would have to return to the village soon or Hiccup would worry. Dusting herself off, she held her head high and trudged her way out of the woods.  
When she got back to the heart of Berke, she found Hiccup and Toothless outside with a man who had an illustrious collection of wooden limbs. They stood in a little hut with no door but a roof to shield from the rain. On the walls hung various weapons and hunks of metal that looked like works in progress. A forge curled around the middle, the coal inside was freshly lit and the water to cool hot metal was still steaming.  
"Come on, at least let me give him a checkup. He's got to have some kind of dragon virus that comes from wherever you were." The man poked at Hiccup with his left hand, which happened to be a hook.  
Hiccup swatted him away and buckled a saddle on Toothless's back, who was watching the sky eagerly. "No, Gobber, he's perfectly fine." The younger Viking insisted.  
Merida stiffened. _Gobber?_ Was that who Stoick had been talking to earlier? She hid behind a rack of weapons and listened further into their conversation.  
"By the way, if you and that redhead girl are getting cozy and romantic, I know a thing or two about-" He was cut off by Hiccup's desperate call.  
"Merida! Haha funny seeing you here, Gobber and I were just talking about you." He paused, glaring daggers at Gobber. "Why are you.. uh.. Hiding there? Behind the weapons?" He wondered, standing straight and resting a hand on Toothless's snout.  
Merida jumped and flushed brightly, coming out from behind the rack with her hands behind her back nonchalantly. She had really hoped he wouldn't notice. "I was just- you know. Admiring the weapons." She laughed nervously and strolled over to the pair, fidgeting with a thread on her dress.  
"Where have you been? I woke up and you weren't there." He secured a strap on Toothless's saddle. "I mean, I went into the house and couldn't find you, that is. Didn't mean we were. Y'know. In the same room." He added hurriedly after Gobber's quizzical look.  
Merida shrugged, gesturing to her bow slung over her shoulder. "I was just out hunting in the woods. I woke up early and decided to explore for a while, the woods aren't like Dunbroch at all." She bit her tongue. Should she tell him about the dragon she encountered, or save it until she knew more about the beast?  
Hiccup smiled at her and her heart panged. She hated to lie to him; he would probably be really excited about this dragon. But, she grinned back and shoved him playfully as if she were telling the whole truth.  
"Where are we going? Or- where are you going. I don't have to… you know. Go with you. If you don't want me to, I mean—it's not like I don't want to." She shuffled her feet and trained her gaze to the ground, realizing she might have been rather forward to assume she was coming wherever he was going.  
Hiccup offered a hand, eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. "Of course you're coming. We've got training to do." He replied jauntily.  
Beaming, Merida accepted it and swung herself on to Toothless's back. To her surprise, she didn't even flinch when he shot like an arrow into the clouds.  
Once Toothless had leveled out, Hiccup turned back to her, struggling to see clearly as his hair was whipped in his face. "Are you ready to explain to them?" He asked over the wind's incessant whistling.  
Merida was taken aback. She knew who he meant; he wanted her to tell the dragon trainers where she was from and how everything had happened. "You expect me to trust them? What if they go to your father and tell him before we're ready?"  
"They're not like that- trust me, I've known them for years. They're my friends. They wouldn't tell him unless we asked them to. I promise." He reached behind to take Merida's hand. She squeezed it gratefully and grumbled a reluctant 'fine'.  
When they got to the academy, the twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs were already there. From what she could see, Snotlout and Tuffnut were fighting while Ruffnut cheered them on and Fishlegs tried to stop them.  
They landed in the middle of the fight; the two boys parted reluctantly to make way for Toothless. "Come on, it was just getting good!" Ruffnut complained.  
Hiccup dismounted and tried to help Merida off, who refused and jumped off herself. "Guys, where are your dragons?" Hiccup questioned, squinting.  
The Vikings shrugged, looking up at the sky. "Out." They all answered in unison.  
Hiccup harrumphed and ran a hand through his hair. "What is that supposed to mean? 'Out'? What am I supposed to make of that?"  
Ruffnut worried her bottom lip. "I dunno, they haven't been themselves lately- it's like they can sense something bad's gonna happen… Spooky huh?" She waved her hands around to illustrate said spookiness. "It's like ESP. But for dragons." She nudged her twin, who joined in on her laughter.  
Hiccup disregarded the matter and tried again. "Um... I need to talk to you guys. About Merida." He began awkwardly.  
Snotlout groaned. "Aww, did you already call dibs?" He whined.  
Hiccup ground his teeth and gave up, gesturing for Merida to take over. The princess clasped her hands in front of her, as she did out of habit when she was about to explain something.  
"As you might have guessed- I'm not a viking. I'm… Well. I'm a Gaelic. I'm not from Berke. I'm a Princess of the clan Dunbroch-" She winced at this part; she hated having to say her stupid title. It sounded too stiff and regal for her liking.  
"When Hiccup was looking for your friend Astrid, he sort of got lost and ended up crashing in the forest near my home. He told me he was a Viking and I flipped out, because of the war and all that's happened between our two peoples. We decided to tell my dad, King Fergus. I thought that the war ended years ago and that he wouldn't even care. I was wrong. He threw Hiccup in the dungeons. But I got help from my mother and my brothers and we escaped, I made the choice to go with Hiccup rather than stay with my family. When I was breaking him out, I overheard my dad and one of our warriors talking about launching an attack. My father's fleet and our clan's allies are going to attack Berke." She pursed her lips, looking each Viking in the eye. Each of them were stunned, their faces blank and jaws slack.  
"So... Hiccup didn't call dibs." Snotlout finally managed.  
Merida rolled her eyes and whacked him with the tip of her bow. "No one called 'dibs' on me; I'm not a prize to be won. I choose who I like and who I don't, and you're getting a bit close to the not-like side." She scolded.  
Tuffnut laughed and punched Snotlout's shoulder. "I told you she liked me better! Ruff, you owe me a new axe!" He shouted triumphantly. At this, Ruffnut stuck out her tongue and folded her arms.  
Merida cringed in disgust. _Ugh, is that what they were fighting over, _she thought with a shudder. "Guys, back to the task at hand, you know, the one where Berke is going to be attacked by a huge army of Gaelics." Hiccup's voice dropped irritably into sarcasm.  
Fishlegs stepped forward. "So, let me get this straight. Merida's a Gaelic spy come to learn all our secrets and hollow us out from the inside, then the Gaelics are gonna come with a giant army and overthrow your dad! Oh man that would be cool." He said eagerly. Something told Merida this guy read too much.  
Hiccup's quirked a brow quizzically, narrowing his eyes. "Uhh, no, but close. Fishlegs what have you been reading? Nevermind. She's one of the good ones, but her dad's planning an attack." He re-stated.  
Fishlegs deflated, shoulders slumping. "Aww. That's just boring."  
"Woah woah woah woah, does your dad know? Is your dad cool with this?" Snotlout fired at Hiccup.  
Hiccup shuffled his feet sheepishly, glancing at Merida. "Um. No, no he doesn't. I was actually wondering if you guys could keep that kinda hush hush for now, maybe? I mean, it's kind of important. I don't want my dad to freak out and banish her or something. We'll tell him when we're ready."  
"When is he gonna attack? I mean for all we know he could already be on his way right now." Ruffnut interrupted, leaning her elbows on her shield. For this answer she looked instead to Merida.  
"I don't know, he could be on his way now or he could mean in a year. But you have to be ready, whether he comes sooner or later." The princess sighed, tugging at her curls.  
Hiccup put his hands to his hips, looking out over the bunch of Vikings. He decided to put the matter aside for now; he had flicked into leader mode. "Alright, maggots. Let's do some exercises. Get your lazy butts outside and call for your dragons, then we'll do some flight contests." He ordered.  
The Vikings groaned and stood up, lumbering out the door with their axes and maces as if they were energetic children being told to go to bed. Merida figured they would rather be doing freestyle flying than exercises and contests. Hiccup followed after them, yelling instructions and insults.  
_This is my chance,_ Merida thought. She jogged up to Fishlegs and tapped him on the shoulder. Not one of the other trainers noticed. He turned back to her and was about to say something but Merida cut him off.  
"I saw a dragon today. A wild one." She said curtly, keeping an eye on Hiccup and the others to make sure they didn't notice.  
"Cool! Was it like... a normal dragon like one of ours or was it new and special like a Changewing or something? That would be cool, but Changewings are really dangerou-"  
Merida huffed impatiently. "I'm not sure what it was, but it scared away a bear that was chasing me and it was by the beach. Do you think you could- I don't know... Is there an encyclopedia or something with all of the dragons in them?"  
"Yeah, of course! The Book of Dragons by Bork the Bold!" Fishlegs answered eagerly, eyes glossing over at the thought of it. He really did read too much.  
"Can I read it? I mean it's not that important if the book is ancient or something or hard to get, I can just go back there and try to find out for myself. I just don't want to tell Hiccup because he'll probably make a big deal out of it and go all dragon-trainer-mode on me." The princess sighed. It was probably too much to ask, this book was theirs and she had no place to ask to read it.  
"Of course you can read it; it's in the Great Hall. Hiccup leaves it there so anyone can read it if they want to, the building's right beside Chisholm." Fishlegs shrugged.  
"Fishlegs, are you gonna come call Meatlug or not!" Hiccup called from outside the arena.  
"I gotta go, Meatlug's probably worried sick about me." He smiled and jogged away after the rest of them.  
Merida thought for a moment, pacing back and forth and gnawing at her lip. Should she tell Hiccup? He would probably be really proud of her and happy that a dragon did something for her, but he would also probably then spoil all of her fun. With that, she was decided. She would learn about it herself.  
She bounded after the group and managed to hop on Toothless's back right before they took off. That day was fun, all of the riders let her take turns on their dragons. Though Snotlout was a little too flirty for her liking, it was fantastic. The sky had never looked so good.

When night had fallen and Hiccup had retired to the workshop, Merida crept silently out of Hiccup's bedroom and down the stairs of Chisholm house. She paused outside of Stoick's door, heart softening. She didn't blame him for being suspicious about her; he was just trying to protect his family and his people. He was doing a better job of it than her father was; at least Stoick knew when he was going too far.  
Pushing her hair to one side, the princess grabbed a candle and left the house. The ground was cold and wet on her bare feet, but she made her way to the Great Hall with an excited grin.  
Once inside, she gathered her shawl about her shoulders and set her candle down on the table. She sighed happily, eyes darting around the room to make sure that there was no one around.  
When she was sure she was clear, she plopped down into her seat and stared for a moment at the Book of Dragons. The book itself was bound in old leather with many scratch marks and even a couple claw marks. It had a sort of decal on the front, a curled up dragon in a circle of knotting. The pages were of many different textures, some old and yellowing and some new and white. Some were just the right size and some were too big, but it just added to the book's allure.  
Finally, with hesitant hands, she opened up the front cover, furrowing her brow. She was ready to read. _I haven't read these runes in a long time, _she thought irritably. Her own scrawl was different; the Gaelics used the same runes but had a few variants. They didn't have just one rune for a combination of letters like T and H or N and G, but there were some words like 'the' that just had one rune to represent them. "_The Book of Dragons, by Bork the Bold. (Formerly known as Bork the Very Very Unfortunate.)" _It read on the first page.  
She flipped to the next one, adjusting reluctantly to the Viking style of runes. On the next page there was another sigil, another dragon like the one on the front but this one was just a silhouette of a wing and head breathing fire. "_Stoker Class._" It said beneath. The following list was of all the dragons that primarily breathed fire to incinerate their enemies. There was the Monstrous Nightmare, a dragon who could light itself on fire. The Terrible Terror, who was more powerful in a pack. The Typhoomerang, who would burn a ring of fire around a predator to their young. Then, finally the Fireworm, who was more like an insect than a dragon.  
That was the end of the Stoker Class. The next class was Boulder, apparently. In this class were Gronkles, who literally ate rocks. There were dragons called the Whispering Death, who apparently tunneled through the ground with multiple rows of teeth that could rotate.  
After the Boulder Class, there was the Sharp Class. In this one were the Deadly Nadder, who could shoot poisonous spikes from its tail. The Timberjack with wings so sharp they could slice through trees. The next dragon was rather new, it was called the Speed Stinger and could run fast and shoot poisonous barbs, but couldn't fly like the other dragons.  
Finally, after the Sharp Class, there was the Tidal Class. Merida nearly jumped at the illustration on the first page, it was so real. This dragon was called the Scauldron and could shoot boiling water at its enemies; it could either be green or blue in colour. The princess took a deep breath and remembered the tales her father used to tell her about the Loch Ness Monster. He swore he had seen it once, lurking in the water. She laughed now, because the Loch Ness Monster was not a monster at all. It was a dragon.

This, this was her dragon.

-  
Wow! So this one's extra long. Anyway, I kind of spent my whole day writing this, but that's okay because I'm sick and I have nothing better to do. Also because I spent like 3 hours looking at dragons and trying to figure out which one I would give Merida. I hope you guys like it! Oh, also, I'm totally open to suggestions on what to name our new Scauldron. (:

-Nebby


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